Imperfect Strangers
by Li'l Yahiko
Summary: A story from Nobu's POV about his first meeting and budding friendship with Nana. Multichapter, onesided NobuNana romance
1. Curiosity

_**Imperfect Strangers**_

(Disclaimer: NANA is property of Yazawa Ai.)

Note: I haven't finished the manga or anime or anything like that, and I'm going mostly off references made in Chapter 2 of the manga. I'm not sure if this story is actually told, so if it is, this is my interpretation instead.

Chapter 1: Curiosity

_Hey, Mr. Curiosity,_

_Is it true what they've been sayin' about you?_

_Are you killin' me?_

_You took care of the cat already,_

_And for those who think it's heavy,_

_Is it the truth?_

_Or is it only gossip?_

**-Jason Mraz, "Mr. Curiosity"**

Terashima Nobuo. That was what I had been deemed by my parents. The name seemed awfully plain to me, Nobuo did, but I really did like it, probably because I was the only one who acknowledged it. With the surname of Terashima, I was only known as the heir to the successful inn that my parents ran. Whatever… they could call me what they wanted.

The bell had just rang for class to begin, and I sat at my desk, tapping my eraser idly upon the table top, my cheek leaned heavily into my hand. Class hadn't even started, and already I was bored with it… bored… or perhaps tired… I had been up all night finishing a homework assignment that I had put off until the last minute…

I yawned and blinked several times in an attempt to wake up, but to no avail. The teacher had started talking, but my attention just wasn't there. Damned homework would probably cost me the next few.

That was when the door opened.

"Forgive me for being late, sensei," She said, entering and bowing.

Osaki Nana. I'd never spoken to her, but she came in late constantly. Rumors were always flying around about her being some sort of criminal or something. It was probably because she always kept to herself and didn't have any friends. A bit like me, but I had acquaintances at least, and I didn't mind talking to people.

The teacher and her discussed for a few moments, and then Nana went to her desk and sat down. She opened her book and stared into it as if it was some abomination.

_What's her problem? _I thought to myself, watching her from the corner of my eye. She as the only thing that was fairly interesting at the moment, and even now my attention was waning.

I'd heard her excuses before. It was always the same one. "I was taking care of my grandmother," She would say, and the teacher would always allow her tardiness to slip by. I'd heard that she lived only with her grandmother, but no one knew for sure. I wasn't exactly out to find out. Sure, she was a lanky girl, but by her demeanor, I always got the feeling that she could kick my ass. There was a frightening intensity in her eyes that I was sure made everyone stay away. That and the criminal rumors… Maybe I was the only one brave enough to look in her eyes, even though I'd only glanced at her from across the room.

After some lecturing to the class, the teacher passed out a test. Damn it all… Sometimes I felt that fate did this on purpose. I must have done something bad in a past life.

I wrote the answers to the best of my extent, forcing down yawns as I tried to stay awake. That was when I once again caught sight of her.

She sat across the room and two desks up from me, Nana, and unlike everyone else, I watched her erase an answer and rewrite it, only to do the same thing over again. She was the most frustrated one in the class. I looked back down at my paper and wrote another answer, but my eyes kept diverting back towards her for some reason.

_What's up with me? _I asked myself. _I shouldn't be so curious with her._

After about ten more minutes the test was taken up. At least I'd finished it… I was relieved that I at least had a chance of passing.

As the teacher took up Nana's test and walked to the next row, I saw her slam her fist down onto the desk, her black hair tumbling over her shoulder and shielding her face. It peeked my curiosity.

After class was over, I rushed to gather my things into my black bag and found myself hurrying out the door after her. She was always the first one out of the class, and I had to practically run to catch up with her.

"Osaki!" I cried, a little more loudly than I'd planned, when I caught up to her.

She paused in her quick-paced stride, then turned towards me. "What." She stated, instead of questioning.

"Ah…" I faltered, trying to remember exactly why I was doing this in the first place. "Osaki… I…" After thinking for a second I said, "I saw you… after the test… is… something wrong?"

"Is that any of your business?" She asked, not bitterly, but more in a confused way. "No. Nothing's wrong. Go away." She turned on her heel to leave.

"Ah, wait!" I cried. "I thought that maybe if you were having trouble, I could help!"

She looked back at me. "I don't need any help," She barked. "I'm fine on my own. Get the hell away from me!"

A shiver ran down my spine. Her eyes were frightening, but I wasn't going to give in. She was a girl! I was a MAN… sixteen, but a man in my mind.

"Don't get so pissed!" I replied, walking along next to her. I could tell it frustrated her that since I was taller than her, no matter how quickly she walked, I could keep up with her pace. "I was just offering some assistance. I mean, I'm not Einstein or anything, but I thought that maybe we'd both do better if we had someone to study with."

"Then study with your boyfriend or something," She replied, digging in her bag for something. I figured that she just didn't really want to look at me.

"Come on, don't be like that," I said, feeling pathetic. "And I'm not gay!"

"Uh-huh…" Nana replied unconvincingly. "Well, you're not getting into my pants."

"I'm so sure! It's not about that either!" I moaned. "Come on! Don't you ever like to hang out with ANYONE?"

"No," She replied simply, lowering her bag, either not finding what she was looking for, or finally deciding to stop avoiding my eyes.

"Well, if you tried it, you might enjoy some company once in awhile. You do want to graduate, don't you?"

"What's your name?" She asked suddenly, eyes piercing into mine.

It was a simple question, but she'd stopped me in my tracks. "T… Terashima… Nobuo…" I finally sputtered out.

"That's fascinating, Terashima Nobuo," She said blandly.

"What is?"

"The fact that you're pretending to give a damn about my well-being. Go to hell," She turned and headed off.

"Osaki!" I shouted, grabbing her shoulder. "Look! You don't understand me because you don't know me! Just… well… help me so I can help you! I know you don't like going straight home after school, right?"

She paused but this time didn't look at me. "Of course not," She replied, "but why make a big deal out of it?"

"Come on… Osaki… please… I promise I'll shut up if you just try studying with me just once…"

Finally she turned, placing a hand against my chest, then shoved me against the wall with force I'd never seen in a girl her age before. "Fine," She spat bitterly. "You've got yourself a deal, Terashima. I'll see you after school. DON'T bring anyone else. Got it?"

"Yup. Got it."

She stormed off, probably aggravated that I'd caught her.

_Wait… why did I do that?_ I wondered once she was out of my sight. _I was so desperate to get her to study with me… and she freaks me out so bad! What the hell is the matter with me?_

Curiosity seemed to have gotten the better of me… Osaki Nana…

-

School ended, and despite my discomfort, I waited for her outside the building, hands in my pockets. The sky was a perfect blue, and the sun stung at my eyes.

She was the last one out of the building. She stared at me almost in surprise, as if she had expected my offer to be some sort of ditching, then returned her features to the cold glare she normally had. "Terashima," She greeted in an almost business-like manner.

"Osaki," I greeted in an equally business response, but smiled instead of frowned. "You want to study at my house, right?"

"I don't give a damn," She replied tiredly. "Just as long as it's not MY place."

I shrugged and started forward, and she followed in an almost defeated manner.

"What's your deal…?" She finally asked after walking in silence for what seemed like hours.

I glanced back at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Why were you so damn desperate for me to be near you? You don't seem like the type who's out to get into girl's pants or anything like that, so… what do you want from me? What do you expect to gain?"

"I just… thought that someone should get to know you, Osaki," I replied, after thinking for a moment. "You seemed… kinda… lonely…"

"I'm perfectly fine on my own. Trust me." She didn't seem to believe her words though, and I thought for a moment that I'd seen a smile try to appear on her lips. As I watched her, I noticed that she was the only girl at school who I'd seen that didn't wear any make-up.

"I don't have any close friends or anything," I said, and then wondered why I said it. "I guess that maybe… I only thought you looked lonely… because I was lonely… or something."

"You're a dumbass," She responded, but I'd quickly grown to expect that kind of answer. "If you were looking for company, you easily could have found someone better than me."

"Eh…" I shrugged. "All those other students don't have anything new in their lives. It's all the same stuff with them. I guess I just thought I'd see what you were like. I thought that maybe you'd get where I'm coming from."

"You must be one of those smothered little children who get scared when their by themselves," She said, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"NO… well… yeah, kinda."

She had a point. I was a bit spoiled… but I mean, my family was RICH!

We were quiet until we reached the inn where I lived.

"What the hell?!" Nana cried, pointing at the building. "I had no idea you were THAT Terashima!"

For some reason, the fact that she didn't know about my family made me feel so delighted… Someone who didn't know me for my name.

"It's not that big of a deal," I shrugged, a smile unable to leave my face. Suddenly Nana was cooler.

She still seemed a bit freaked out, but she did come inside.

"I've never been to an inn like this before," She commented as she slipped out of her brown penny loafers. Those usually intense eyes were now lit with a child like wonder. "It's… really fancy…"

"Yeah," I answered back. "I guess."

She followed me down the hall towards my room, her long fingers trailing the wall. I noticed how the staff looked at her whenever they saw her, and she responded with equal disgust at them.

My room was the last one on the left, farther apart then the rest of them. I opened the door and let her go in first, then closed it behind me.

She gasped loudly, forcing me to turn around.

"The… The…" She stammered, looking at the poster on my wall. "The Sex Pistols! Oh, my God!" She ran to the poster and placed her hands against it. "You like them?" She asked, turning to me, a smile apparent on her face.

I almost fell over, I was so stunned to see her smiling. "Y… You like them?" I echoed, more stunned.

"Of course!" Nana replied. "Duh!"

I couldn't believe it… she was a Sex Pistols fan! She was getting even cooler!

She looked around my room to find something else to look at and spotted my guitar in the corner. "You play?" She asked, pointing at it.

"…not very well…" I responded sheepishly. "I just fiddle on it… I don't play in a band or anything. I've never even really played in front of anyone…"

She ran her fingers along the fret board of the guitar. It seemed that she had to put her hands on anything that interested her, like she had to feel it to know it was really there.

"It's cheap," I told her. "Not very nice. Just something for my fingers to dance on."

"I like it," Nana replied, softly smiling.

My cheeks heated at the sight of her hard features showing delicacy. "AH!" I cried, uncomfortable. "Should we get started? I'll put on some music."

She went and sat down on my bed, digging into her bag and pulling out some books and crinkled paper.

I put in my Sex Pistols album. Obviously, she liked them too.

"Yeah," She grinned. "Damn, they rock."

I smiled at her. She had a pretty nice smile when she used it… though I still found it hard to place on her.

"Osaki, what class are you worst in?" I asked, sitting next to her and digging in my own bag.

"Well," She smirked. "There's not really a class I'm great in… I'm a C to D average student depending on my mood."

"Huh…" I said. _Well, now what?_

"English is my best subject," She said, her smile softening. "Let's do that first."

"Right," I replied.

Over the next hour, I found that Nana was exceptionally good at English, at least compared to me anyway, and she ended up helping me out. I asked her, "Why are you so good at this?"

She replied, "Because when I listen to English music, I want to know what I'm singing about. Don't you?"

"I usually just listen to the guitar," I replied, running a hand through my spikes of brown hair. "Do you sing, Osaki?"

"Just the way everyone else does," She responded, not smiling. "I sing when there's a song I like playing, and only loud enough for me to hear."

"Oh," I said. For a minute there I'd expected to hear something about her hobbies. Probably a foolish thing for me to do.

We worked on our homework until the sky was orange as the sun slipped away. It seemed that the whole time we worked on something, she was so damned sure that her way was the right one, and we argued constantly. By the time we had finished, she left without saying goodbye.

I fell back on my bed and stared at the ceiling, tired and frustrated, but done with my homework before nightfall. Osaki Nana… she was an enigma… She'd smile one minute, scowl the next, as if even she herself didn't know how she felt.

I sighed, closing my eyes.

My homework adventure from the night before left me weary, and I easily found myself falling asleep, mind still on the strange girl I'd spent the afternoon with. She had left me exhausted and aggravated, and it was my own fault because I just HAD to talk to her.

If curiosity killed the cat, I would surely be dead by midnight.


	2. One Complicated Female

Chapter 2: One Complicated Female

_I was lost, and you were found_

_You seemed to stand on solid ground_

_I was weak, and you were strong_

_And me and my guitar were strung along_

_Oh, sweet misery, she calls me_

_That's what you call me_

**-Michelle Branch, "Sweet Misery"**

She hated me… she had to. I wasn't surprised, since she seemed to clash with everyone, but it still depressed me a bit, though I wasn't sure as to why.

Nana came into class on time… She didn't even glance at me.

I sighed, defeated, and flipped to another page in my book.

-

"I don't believe it," I said aloud. "I… I passed my English homework!" It was enough to brighten my day for sure. "Wow… I never thought I'd see the day when I got an A on my English instead of a C."

I had Nana to thank… but she probably wasn't out for thanks. Yesterday was nothing to her. She didn't even consider to know me enough to acknowledge me in class.

-

School ended, and I headed out of the building. I hung behind, hoping to see Nana, but I didn't… Who knew where she ran off to?

I exited the building and started for home. I was time for another all night study session by myself… but I kept getting the feeling that someone was following me…

Flinging around, I couldn't believe my eyes.

"N… Nana…" The word came out of my mouth before it even entered my brain… I couldn't believe my eyes. There she stood, bag over her shoulder, just staring at me.

"What?" She asked.

"What are you… doing here?" I asked, unable to think of anything smarter to say.

"I thought we were studying," She said simply. "Look… I mean, if it's a bad day, or if you don't want me to come anymore, I'll just go…"

"NO!" I exclaimed, a little more loudly than I'd planned. "It's fine... I just… I thought you didn't… like me… is all…" My voice dwindled away as I spoke until there was hardly a sound. I was pathetic.

"I don't," She replied, but not without a grin. "I passed my math exam."

"I passed my English exam."

"See?" She passed me, saddphire eyes glittering with deviousness. "You need me."

Despite what she'd said about not liking me and my dependence on her, a smile spread across my features. Something about her… what was it…?

-

I had plopped down on the floor of my bedroom, while Nana sat in a corner of the room between the bed and the wall. "Hey," She said to me. "Before we start."

"What?" I asked.

"Your guitar."

"What about it?"

"I won't help you with English until you play it for me."

I was silent. Why she would want me to play for her was beyond me because even though a lot of people thought I played well, I never thought I was that great. Then again, I'd been to a lot of punk rock shows, and I'd seen true professionals.

"Well…" I finally said. "Okay, but I'm not very good."

Picking up the guitar, I made one casual strum, tuned it to my liking, and plugged it into the amp. I thought for a moment, then strummed a few random chords. As a melody began forming in my head, I slowly began to play in specific orders, feeling the vibrations trembling through me as they often did when I played. I hadn't played in so long… I'd forgotten how amazing I felt when I played. My adrenaline rushed as I delved more and more deeply into the song, and I soon forgot that Nana was even there. It was just me and my guitar as it had always been before.

As I finished the song with no name or words, I pulled my mind out of the gutter and back into reality where Nana was staring at me with those intense, heart-stopping eyes.

My mind poured out scolding at myself over the next minute of quiet. _You idiot! She probably thinks you suck! YOU SUCK! You shouldn't have played for so long! What the hell is wrong with you? YOU SUCK!_

"Not bad," She said, shrugging. "Sound kinda rusty. A bit more practice and you'll be back up to speed though. You have some really quick fingers, and you don't just copy other people's songs. That's awesome."

I was stunned. "Are you complementing me?"

"Now, on to English."

I should have expected that. Not willing to waste my energy prodding answers out of her, I put my guitar away and sat down across from her.

She began explaining everything to me in terms that I could understand…

-

Nana followed me home every day, as if she were some stray kitten. She'd make me play guitar every day before we studied, and then we'd lecture each other on the way things were supposed to be done. Soon enough, both of our grades were improving.

She still seemed so curt and distant from me whenever she came, and constantly shot insults at me for no reason. There were days when she would laugh and smile and was nice, but most of the time she was pissed off and secluded. Everything about her still continued to trouble me and leave me afraid to say anything, yet at the same time peaked my curiosity.

I soon decided that she was only out to get my assistance and truly meant that she didn't like me when she told me so that day… but of course, I was quickly learning that every time I thought I knew something, Nana had a way of throwing me for a loop and showing me what an idiot I really was.

I became aware of it two and a half weeks after we had started our after-school study session. She had taken some of my notes home to copy…

I was sitting at my desk, writing out some guitar chords. Nana's interest had revived my own, and now I found myself doodling up little tunes whenever my free time.

My notes plopped down in front of me. "Thanks for the notes," Nana said, and then said something that to most people would mean nothing, but almost made me fall out of my chair. "Nobu."

And she just walked away! I couldn't believe it. I'd been "Terashima" or "the kid at the inn" for my entire life, and now I suddenly had my first name in the mix, and not just that, but a NICKNAME! If I wasn't so masculine, I would have cried.

Finally. I wasn't just the child of my parents… to someone… I was an individual.

I couldn't wait until school let out…

-

I waited by the door for Nana, and as soon as she exited, I grabbed her and pulled her into a deep embrace. "NANA!" I sang.

"What the hell?! LET GO OF ME!" She shoved me off, and I fell on my ass. "So chummy all of a sudden? What the hell's wrong with you, Nobu?" She asked, brushing herself off.

Despite her cold response, a dumb grin spread across my face, and I answered stupidly, "You called me Nobu."

"So?" She shrugged. "Terashima is too long to say."

I clambered to my feet to catch up to her as she walked away. "So, um…" I said, slowing once I reached her side until I matched her pace. "Can I call you Nana now, instead of Osaki? Does this mean that we're… I dunno… friends?"

"You can call me whatever you want," Nana shrugged. "You could have called me Nana before and I wouldn't have cared. It's not as if I'm out for respect or anything."

I stared at her until she realized she hadn't answered my other question.

"I wouldn't be here now if I didn't consider you a friend of mine, dumbass."

I smiled.

"Don't grin like an idiot," She said, rolling her eyes. "I'm no prize."

"I can't help it. I don't… really have any other friends, you know?"

She was silent for awhile, back turned to me, and then she said, "Yeah… me neither. I guess we're stuck together."

-

During our studies, I'd noticed that Nana's ears were pierced several times, and pointed it out to her. The next day when we arrived at my house, she asked me for an apple, a needle, and an ice cube… somehow I knew this would go badly.

Spreading the items out before her, the apple cut into slices, she commanded I close my eyes.

I had a good idea as to what she was going to do… but for some reason, I trusted her and did as she told me.

She placed the ice cube against the back of my earlobe, then moved it around to the front, placing it back and forth until my ear was numb or at least it seemed that way. I opened one eye and watched her lick her lips in concentration, then glare at me. I shut my eyes again.

She lifted the apple and the needle, then placed the apple against the back of my earlobe. She slipped the needle in.

I screamed out some incredibly vulgar obscenities, eyes flying open, then saw only blackness. I found out later that I'd blacked out.

When I awoke from my stupor, I found myself still sitting in the same position I had been, hands trembling violently against my knees. Beads of sweat poured down the side of my face, and both of my ears were numb.

She just stared at me. "Wuss," She said, smiling, then held up a mirror.

There were three silver rings in each of my lobes, a stud and another ring above them in the rounded part of my ears. My ears were a bit reddened from the ice and pain.

She wiped away the small bit of blood with her finger. "Come on. I did this to myself, and I didn't even flinch. You didn't have to go all dramatic and black out on me. It was like I was poking a corpse. You didn't even blink."

My cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "They're not gonna get infected or anything, are they?"

"Most likely not, as long as you clean them," She replied, wiping her hands on her skirt. "You are officially punk."

"I never said I wanted to be punk," I mumbled flatly.

"You never said that you didn't," She responded.

I had to admit that I'd always been drawn to the punk lifestyle and fashion, but I was always too chicken to convert to it. My parents would never have allowed it… my mom might have, with a frown and a shake of her head (she did buy me a guitar, after all), but my father…

"Don't worry about your parents, man," Nana told me, as if she had read my mind. It was incredible how she could do that… "You can either take them out when they're around, or they can get used to it. They didn't seem to have any problems with mine."

"Well, they've only seen you at a glance, and trust me, they've talked with me about it."

It was true. At dinner, they would talk at length with me about her. They'd ask me questions and look at me disapprovingly. They seemed to believe that she was my girlfriend, and that she was nothing but trouble, despite the fact that I claimed she was merely a study buddy of mine, and a very nice person at that. I could understand what they were getting at… I mean, if I'd seen my kid walk in with a raven-haired girl I'd never seen before and stay in his room with her until sunset, I'd be suspicious too, but my relationship with Nana was merely companion to companion… friends… My only friend… Just because she happened to be a girl didn't mean we were having sex. I left dinner in frustration several nights…

"You don't have to explain or anything. I personally don't give a damn if your folks don't like me," Nana shrugged. "Even my grandmother doesn't like me."

"I'm sure that's not true," I responded.

"She thinks I'm a clone of my mother," She replied, pushing some hair behind her ears.

"What's your mother like?"

"I don't know. If she ever shows up in my life, I'll be happy to tell you, Nobu," She shrugged, leaning back against the bed and reaching into her bag. "I'm not out looking for sympathy, so don't bother. I don't really mind."

Out of the bag, she pulled a pack of cigarettes and placed one in her lips, then lit it with a Vivienne Westwood lighter.

I gasped, watching her… Normally I couldn't stand smokers. The smell gagged me, and it was so unhealthy, but… it was different with her. Everything was different with Nana, and now I'd realized exactly what it was.

Nana was cool.

She exhaled smoke and turned her icy blue eyes on me. "What, you don't like the smoke?"

"No, no, it's fine," I shook my head and waved my hands. "Go right ahead, I… I don't really know anyone who smokes…"

"Helps me to relieve stress. I started last year," Nana told me. I looked at the cigarette held so daintily between her fingers. She looked so… sophisticated… and all of my hatred for the smokers was gone…

"It's really a stress reliever?" I asked.

"If you know how to use them," She replied, holding it out to me. "Wanna give it a try?"

I hesitated, but I was determined to look cool in front of Nana.

I placed the cigarette to my lips and took a drag on it.

A moment later I was coughing and gagging. I tasted vomit in my throat that threatened to come up.

Nana laughed.

"I can't believe you like those things! That's… that is just HORRIBLE!" I exclaimed between coughs. "You're crazy!"

"You're just a cigarette virgin," She said. "Calm down, first-timer."

"That's nasty," I pointed at it after she took it back.

"Smoking just isn't your thing, Nobu," Nana replied, shaking her head. She began tapping her ashes into an empty soda can that she'd drank from earlier. "You're such a goodie-two-shoes…"

"Wha-- well, I--" Goodie-two-shoes… how lame!

"Don't worry… I'll make a bad boy outta you," She said, smirking, her eyes lit with fire.

I felt like my face had been set a blaze.

Nana burst out laughing again. "You turned red! You nerd! Have you never even had a girlfriend?!"

"NO!" I yelled defensively. "I haven't seen you with any boyfriend!"

Her smile faded, replaced with a look of surprise. "Touché..."

"You've never had a boyfriend, Nana?"

"Most people are intimidated by me," She answered. "It doesn't bother me. People who are out to get dates constantly are only trying to get in with the crowd that all the bimbos and jocks are in. Promise me one thing, Nobu. Promise that you'll never be one of them?"

"No way," I said. "I don't want any part of it. I'd much rather hang out with you every day, Nana." I beamed at her.

She chuckled slightly. "Kiss ass."

Even with the name calling, I still smiled. I might have been a kiss ass, but I meant every word.


	3. The Mistake

Chapter 3: The Mistake

_So stay with me_

_You look in my eyes _

_and I'm screaming inside _

_that I'm sorry_

_And you forgive me again_

_You're my one true friend_

_And I never meant to hurt you_

**-Evanescence, "Forgive Me"**

My guitar playing improved constantly. Over the weeks with Nana I'd become obsessed with the sound of it again, I strummed on it every single chance I could get. Sometimes, Nana wouldn't be able to come home with me, and I'd just spend hours rocking out with my guitar to some Sex Pistols song or even playing my own tunes. In real life I didn't stand out. I was just that guy in the back… but the fact was, when I played the guitar, and I knew it was lame to say but, when I played I felt… well, sexy…

On one of the days that Nana came, we were sitting in my room and she told me to play.

Confidently, I strode over to the guitar, plugged it in, and started to play. I'd tried to keep to myself so I could see her reaction, but I was pulled in and once again got lost in the music. My adrenaline poured through my veins, and I felt like the sexiest man alive. My fingers ached in need to keep following the notes in my head, as if there was this unpreventable urge to wail it out. I played my very heart and soul out until there was nothing left in me but a restrained breath that I exhaled on the last chord.

"YEAH!" Nana cried, getting to her feet. "That was damn awesome, man!"

I'd never seen such a wide smile on her face before. Her eyes sparkled…

"Heh… heh…" I blushed sheepishly.

"Oh, it was so sexy! I thought I was standing at a Sex Pistols concert!"

"R-really?" I exclaimed.

"Oh…" She threw her arms around me unexpectedly and pulled both of us down onto our knees. "You know what?" She whispered, bringing her face close to mine.

My cheeks started to heat up. "Wh… what?" I whispered back, eyes wide.

"It turned me on…" She said seductively, bringing her lips towards mine.

_Oh, my God… My first kiss…Oh, my God… she thinks I'm sexy! Oh, man, oh, man…I never thought it would happen like this…_ I thought wildly, but quickly my thoughts all ran into mindless dribble.

Her lips drew ever closer to mine.

I felt like my brain was spinning out of control. I couldn't breathe…

Closer…

Closer…

Then suddenly…

"AH-HAHA!!! You fell for it!" She howled, rolling on the floor. "Oh, man! Look at your face!"

I didn't have to look. I was sitting on my hands and knees, and I could feel my face as red hot as a stove. How embarrassing…

"Oh, wow! I didn't think you'd actually fall for it!" She laughed so hard she was having trouble breathing.

I could feel my humiliation mustering in my stomach, the shame of being so easily fooled. She was just making fun of me… How pathetic was I… The embarrassment poured into my chest and lit the fire of rage.

"Oh, yeah, REAL funny!" I shouted, and she immediately stopped. "It's hilarious, toying with someone's emotions like that, is it? Yeah, a real riot."

She stared up with me with a stunned look and stammered, "Nobu, I… I'm sorry. I was just kidding…"

"Yeah, and it was hilarious!" I yelled sarcastically. "Yeah, real funny. If I wanted someone to make fun of me like that, I would have gone back to school!"

Her face was shamed as she tucked a strand behind her ear and stood up, grabbing her bag. "I'm sorry… I'll just go…"

I didn't want her to leave… I'd felt like an asshole for taking her joke too seriously, but my pride wouldn't allow me to say anything.

She was gone before I'd settled down.

I sat down on the bed, running my hands over my face. I'd blown it… I'd lost my one friend to my selfish pride. Damn…

I laid down and stared at the ceiling and watched it turn in my mind. I was foolish… So foolish…

-

Despite knowing very well that I was at fault, when I saw Nana at school again, I didn't say anything, and she looked away from me when I looked up. I knew she'd been looking because I could feel her eyes on me… or perhaps I'd only imagined it because I'd wanted her to miss me…

All of my lessons ran together, and I just stared at the black board wistfully, my thoughts settled on my mistake…

I failed everything I did that day… and the next…

Nana sat there so thin and majestic everyday… Her messy black hair was perched on her hair, and her eyes stared straight forward, her hands folded under her chin and propped up from her elbows. I liked to think that she was staring at the black board the same way I was… when had I started looking at her?

Her eyes glanced towards me, and I quickly looked away.

The bell rang.

I started packing my stuff and slung my bag over my shoulder, then froze.

The one who had usually been out of the room first still sat in her desk, staring at the table top in silence.

I watched her in awe for a moment, my heart frozen in my chest. I took a gulp and attempted to walk by her without a glance, but…

"Wait…"

That didn't sound like her at all… She sounded almost choked up. It forced me to look back.

She wasn't looking at me. Silence. Then… "…never mind… forget it…"

And like an idiot, I kept walking. Perhaps I hadn't been the only one clamping down on my foolish pride… It seemed she was doing the same thing, even though she really didn't have any reason because it really wasn't her fault…

I slammed my fist into the wall and leaned against it. Damn this pride!!! It held me on puppet strings and led me away from what I knew I needed to do.

-

I woke up laying on my face with my arm hanging off the side of the bed. Staring blearily at the alarm clock, I saw that it was 2 AM, and I could hear rain pelting the window. I moaned and shut my eyes. How many times was I going to wake up like this? My guilt kept waking me up all hours of the night, forcing my brain to think I heard a voice, a soft knock, a ringing… wait… this time I really did hear a ringing!

I grabbed my phone off of the table and held it to my ear. "H-hello?" I asked, dazed.

There was hesitation on the other line for awhile, and I was just about to hang up when I heard, "N… Nobu…"

_Nana!_ My brain shouted. I couldn't believe it.

"Ah… what?" Was all I could stammer out, I was so stunned.

"…It's Nana…" She said, as if I didn't know who it was. She didn't quite seem like herself.

"Uh, yeah… what is it?"

"…" She was silent for a long time. "Could you… I mean… Can you come downtown…?"

"Downtown?" I asked, rubbing my eyes. "What the hell for?"

"I just… I… I don't wanna… please come…"

"Nana, are you okay?" I asked, growing concerned.

"I'm outside this popular bar. It's called um… The Nightlife… yeah, I'll see you…"

She hung up without answering my question.

My heart pounded against my chest wildly, and I felt like I couldn't hardly breathe. I yanked on a pair of blue jeans and let my night-shirt tail hang over them. I sneaked down the hall, pulled on my shoes, and left.

-

I'd spent half of my allowance money getting a cab ride down to where she had specified, and I found her waiting under the a ledge of the building to keep from getting wet, a cigarette perched in her lips. I pulled out my umbrella and approached her.

"Hey," I said, coming under the ledge.

"Hey," She mumbled, pushing strands of hair behind her ear. I noticed that she had a swollen lip with a trickle of dried blood along her chin. There was some bruising around her eye, and some scratches and bruises on her arms too.

"What happened?" I asked, horrified.

"I… I've been working in this bar during my free time so I can have some money…" She explained slowly. "This guy, he… well, he grabbed my ass, so I punched him, and he grabbed me and beat on me until the bouncers pulled him off… He got arrested, but I got fired for punching him…"

She folded her arms over her chest in an attempt to get warm. It looked to me like she was holding back how upset she was.

"That's… horrible…" I said, putting my hand on her shoulder. "But… why did you call me? Shouldn't you have called your grandmother?"

"She… doesn't know I'm here."

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"I… got a job here without her knowing because… I'm not actually old enough to work here, and… well… I didn't want to get in trouble… I just wanted some money of my own. I wanted to be able to buy…" She shook her head. "Never mind…"

"So…" I began.

"I can't go home until I get cleaned up… and I thought that maybe you'd forgive me and let me in…"

FORGIVE her?! I should have been the one saying sorry! I felt like the lowest human being on the planet right at that moment.

"Don't say that," I said. "I'm the dirt bag. I should be the one asking for forgiveness…"

She shook her head. "No, I… What I said was… I just don't know how to… be nice to people… I guess…" Her voice shuddered a bit, but she forced strength into her body with the clenching of her fists.

Watching her, my mood sunk even more. "Let's just forget it ever happened…" I sighed, putting my arm around her. "Come on… Let's go back to my house and clean you up."

She was silent for a moment, and then said, "Thanks… Nobu…"

"No problem, Nana."

I walked her under my umbrella all the way back to my inn. It was chilly, but I felt surprisingly warm and at peace. I hoped that Nana felt better too.

The wind howled, and just before we reached the steps to go in, it ripped the umbrella from my hands, and rain poured down on the both of us, freezing and wet.

"Damn!" I cried over the thunder.

Nana howled with laughter, and she might not have thought I'd noticed, but tears were streaming from her eyes. She had to let it out… and she refused to cry in front of me, so instead she laughed… she laughed through her tears, and I began to believe that I understood her better… She was so incredibly strong all the time it seemed, so intimidating, but no one had seen behind her icy stare that she was still a young girl, vulnerable to the pains and struggles of life. Not having many around, I knew that she had no way to vent, and the only way she knew how with me was to mask it with a smile or a snide remark…

And I burst into laughter too, so heavily that I collapsed to my hands and knees and let tears stream down my cheeks with the raindrops that cleansed my pride.

Nana laid down next to me and we just stared up into the rain, swallowing water. It gradually lightened up and ceased, and I looked at her, worn out from laughing.

"I'm sorry," I told her again. "For everything."

"Don't be sorry for everything," She responded simply, closing her eyes. "Good things happen too, you know."

I got to my feet and held my hand out to her. "Come on."

She gave me a smile and took my hand.

-

She exited the bathroom in her school uniform, drying her hair with a towel. I had changed into my own uniform, unable to sleep and knowing school was a few hours away. I had been bored, so I sat and strummed with the guitar unplugged from the amp.

She leaned against the door, smiling. "Nobu…" She said, catching my attention.

"Yeah?" I asked casually.

"Thanks."

I smiled at her, and began to strum on the strings a bit more.

"I guess I'll go home now…" She said. "Grandma's probably asleep."

"Good luck. I'll see you at school."

"Bye," She said, leaving the towel draped over my bed-stand.

After the door quietly clicked shut, I sighed. My pride hadn't trapped me, and I'd almost lost a dear friend to it… I decided right then and there that I would do everything I could to avoid making that mistake ever again.


	4. Different Than Other Girls

Chapter 4: Different Than Other Girls

_Childhood living_

_Is easy to do_

_The things you wanted_

_I got them for you_

_Graceless lady_

_You know who I am_

_You know I can't let you_

_Slide through my hands_

**-Adam Levine and Alicia Keys, "Wild Horses"**

The next day, when I met with Nana at school, I found out why one should never go out in the rain when it's chilly.

Nana had her head laid on top of her desk, raven hair sprawled out all around her. When I spoke her name, she looked up at me and sniffed in response. Her nose was bright red, and her eyes held dark circles underneath them.

"I have a cold," She said stuffily.

"Obviously," I said, laughing slightly.

"Is it that obvious?" She asked miserably.

"Gak- no! No, I could tell by err… the sound of your voice…"

"Stop lying," She replied irritably. "You're bad at it…" And THUD went her head onto the desk.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Peachy," She grumbled.

I felt horrible… Well, probably not as bad as her, but I still felt bad FOR her. After watching her suffer through homeroom, I forced myself to go up to her and demanded her to go home.

"You should… probably go home, if you're sick," I told her.

"I don't wanna," She responded like a child.

"But…"

"If my Grandma finds out that I'm sick, she'll probably think it's something worse than it is. Like an STD or something."

"Sounds like your grandma is as crazy as my 'rents."

She smirked at me. "Really?"

-

Lunch time rolled around, and Nana didn't look any better. In fact, in my opinion, she looked WORSE. She plopped down across from me at my desk and laid her head on my tabletop.

"Nobuuuu…." She moaned.

"Do you want me to run to the drug store and get you some meds?" I asked her nervously.

Her eyes sparkled. "Would you?"

"O…of course…"

"DO IT! PLEASE!" She croaked with as much energy as she could muster in her sorry state.

A slave to Nana's will, I did, and to this day I probably would, though not for the same feelings I had at the time. Nana had and still has this way of drawing people to her, making people care about her that I'll never have nor understand. I'd like to think it's because she's one of the few genuine people I've met in my lifetime.

When I returned, she was in the same position I had left her in, but now she had everything she needed, and I was short a few bucks with five minutes left to eat, and out of breath from running to and from the drug store.

I would have been complaining by this point with anyone, but then she looked up at me, smiled, and said, "Thank you… really… Nobu."

And I found myself just smiling back. "No problem. What're friends for?"

"Running to get them drugs!" Nana cheered, already more energetic, and gulped down a few pills.

-

Of course, Nana got better a few days and returned to our daily study sessions. I remember vividly the changes that seemed to take place within her, or perhaps with the world around her the longer we were together. Nana attracted more people to her, though still distant as she was, for now she didn't seem to be quite so scary with a smile on her face and a friend by her side. She'd probably never admit it, but I think it was because of me that she learned how to interact with people.

It was one day in my room that I was strumming away on the guitar that I noticed her writing in her notebook as I played. She had done it before, and I'd always just assumed she was getting homework done while I goofed off, but that day I began to feel like that wasn't really the case. Finally, I got up the nerve to ask her.

"What the hell are you writing in there all the time?"

She looked up at me with surprise, apparently not expecting me to speak, but then she quickly recovered, and with a smile said, "Wouldn't YOU like to know."

"Um… yeah. Yes, I would."

She just chuckled and put the notebook away. "English time, right?"

I groaned. Nana always got her way.

We started to study, though I did very badly that day, thoughts lingering on her mysterious notebook.

-

It was the Sunday after that when we went out for lunch that I found out more about Nana than I'd expected to, and suddenly, her grandmother seemed to make some sense.

We sat across from each other, and I remember thinking with a blush that we looked just like a couple… A pierced, bizarre couple, but a couple none the less.

Nana was dressed in a navy colored Vivienne Westwood t-shirt and white jeans with the knees ripped out. She sat oh-so-dignified with her chin rested on her folded hands.

I myself was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans, nothing designer or fancy in my closet.

"You know, I need to take you shopping some time," Nana chuckled, taking hold of her iced coffee and sipping on it. "You're so plain. I have an excuse. My grandmother won't let me buy anything girly, especially nothing in red or pink."

"Eh?" I questioned, truly baffled. "I thought grandmothers LIKED to dress up their grandkids… Boys in sailor suits and girls in frills and thrills and shit."

Nana rolled her eyes in bitterness. "I wish…You know, she doesn't even know about THIS shirt. I bought it and hide it under whatever she thinks I'm wearing on Sunday."

"What's her deal?" I asked, giving a grin to the waitress as she sat down my drink.

"She thinks I'm going to be some whore or something," Nana shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"WH--- WHY WOULD SHE THINK THAT?" I exclaimed, stunned.

Nana laughed though I couldn't figure out why it was funny. "Chill out, Nobu. It's not that bad."

"She's accusing you of things…" I whimpered, pouting.

"You're such a child. She has every right to think it."

"Ah… what? Why?"

She smiled again, lighting up a cigarette, obviously ignoring the "No Smoking" sign right next to her head. Then her eyes met with mine, and I swore I could see hurt reflecting in them, deeply concealed hurt and hatred.

"Because…" She said, grinning ear to ear. "She thinks I'm just like my mother."

"Huh?… Your mother?" Nana had never spoken of anyone in family besides her grandmother, so I was surprised to hear it now, though not as surprised as I would be after she spoke again.

"Yeah… my mother abandoned me at my grandmother's when I was four to run off with some guy. My mom was a whore, I guess, and my grandma didn't want me to be all pretty because that's how she wooed her guys or whatever. I don't even remember what she looks like."

I remember how I felt after she had said that, though it's still hard to describe. I mean… part of me felt so bad, even though I obviously had nothing to do with it, and I wanted to apologize. Yet, another side of me thought that it was for the best because a woman like that as a mother is far from a good role model… I was in a battle with myself, but she didn't give me time to fight it.

"It's not a big deal, really…" She shrugged, taking another drink from her iced coffee. "Nobody's life is perfect. I'm not gonna blame myself or take responsibility for her stupidity or anything, so I don't feel any shame. So far, I think I've turned out pretty good, don't you?"

Unable to say anything, I nodded dumbly.

"Yeah…" She sighed, staring down at the table. "A cold-eyed teenage girl with no future plans…"

"Nana…" I started, hesitated, and started again. "Nana… You're an awesome girl. You don't have a plan yet, but it's no biggie. I don't have any plan yet either… mostly because everyone else has a plan for me… but… you've got the whole world set out before you, and… well, you can do whatever the hell you want."

She smiled. "You really think that?"

"You know I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it, Nana," I responded, leaning my cheek onto my fist nonchalantly.

"Well… thanks, Nobu. It means a lot to me, really."

I grinned.

"So… you're kind of stuck in the inn biz, huh," Nana said.

"Yeah," I groaned, stretching. "It sucks. I'm gonna end up wearing a yukata and being all nice to assholes who mess up my rooms."

"Shouldn't you just… do what you want to?" Nana asked.

"Eh?"

"Well… I mean, why let them set your path. Do what you just told me. Do whatever the hell you want. It's your life, and whether they gave it to you or not, you control it. Now, what would you really want to do if you could?"

"Play guitar," I said, without hesitation, and surprised myself by doing so.

"Well, do it. Play guitar. You're really good at it. In fact, I wish that I had the kind of talent that you have… I've never been good at anything, you know? If I had the kind of talent you had, I would try to make a living off of it."

I remember staring at her after she said that, and wondered what she would've wanted to do. Music? Art? Writing? For some reason, I felt that she could do it all, and she probably can, but at the time, it was only my boyish wonder, I guess.

We sat there for hours, chatting about our family lives, but I came to find that I did most of the talking. Nana didn't seem very fond of speaking about herself, a quality I think she might always have. Whether she was humble or just a bit oblivious of herself is a mystery but…

"The sun's going down," Nana said suddenly, interrupting my thoughts. "I need to go home."

"I'll walk you," I said without thinking, a habit I seemed to have been picking up on.

She grinned and extended her hand to me to help me out of my seat. When I took her hand, I felt this incredible rush of heat to my cheeks. Any girl who thinks that female hormones are more brutal than male hormones… well, I'd have to say I definitely disagree, for starters, along with some less kind things…

-

We were almost to her house when she stopped me.

"This is as far as you go," She told me. "If my grandmother saw me with a boy I'd be locked away in my room for the rest of my life."

"But…" I whined.

"Aww… do you wanna kiss goodbye?" She smirked. At the time, she had no idea how her words would affect me.

"Ah-- yu---n-" I stammered, but fell silent when she kissed me on the cheek and patted my head like I was a puppy.

"Have a nice night!" She chimed, waving as she disappeared around the corner.

To this day, regardless of my feelings now, my heart still pounds when I think of that time. It was the day I guess I truly began my steps into independent adulthood… but then again… maybe I just wanted to be more like her.

(A/N: Yeah... this chapter is really short, but I didn't want to start the next part in this chapter, I wanted it to be put exclusively into one chapter. This was kind of more of a filler I suppose.)


End file.
